Locomotive-stoker.



N. M. LOWER.

LOCOMOTWE STOKER.

APPLICAHON FSLED MAY 9. 191a.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

NATHAN M. LOWER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASBIGNOB TO LOCOMOTIVE BTOKER COMPANY, A CORPORATIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCOHOTIVE-STOKER.

Specification of Letter: Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed Kay 9, 1918. Serial No. 238,458.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN M. LOWER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, count of Allegheny, and State of Penns lvania, ave invented certain new and use ul Improvements in Locomotive- Stokers, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to stokers for locomotives in which the fuel is transferred from a bin on the tender to the fire-box of the locomotive; and its ob'ect is to provide improved means for flexibiy connecting the conduit, which leads forwardly from the fuel bin to the locomotive, to the tender in order to rmit relative movement of the two vehic es in any direction without placing strain upon the conduit.

The invention consists in a structure in which the conduit is slidingly seated on a saddle block which is so supported upon the tender that it may move transversely to the line of draft, such movement being by a sliding movement upon the surface of its suport.

P Embodiments of both forms of construction are shown in the accompanying drawin%, in whichigure 1 is a detail longitudinal vertical section of a locomotive and tender, the stoker mechanism being shown in elevation, with some parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a portion of the tender showing the carrying device for the stoker conduit.

Only such details of the locomotive, tender and stokin mechanism are shown as are essential to a disclosure of the novel features.

At 10 there is represented a portion of the frame of a locomotive; at 11 the back head of its fire-box, and at 12 the floor of its cab. The floor of the coalbiii of the tender is shown at 13, and a portion of the substructure of the vehicle at 14.

The conduit 15 for conveying fuel from the tender to the locomotive is shown as located below the floor of the tender, which is apertured over its rear end to permit the passage of fuel. This conduit dischar es into a receiving chamber 16, from which t e fuel is elevated by any suitable means, there being shown for this purpose a conduit 17 within which suitable elevating mechanism (not shown) is inclosed, this conduit discharging at its upper end through a nozzle 18 into the fire-box.

The conduit 15 is referably flexibly united with a casing of t ie receiving chamber 16, as by a ball and socket joint, represented at 19. The rear end of the conduit rests and may slide in a saddle block 20, the upper face of which is complementary in shape to the configuration of the bottom of the conduit. Preferably the conduit is U-sha ed in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, an the upper face of the saddle block is concave.

The saddle block 20 rests and is free to slide upon the supporting block 21 in any direction, its movements being limited, however, by an upstanding flange 23 secured to the upper face of the block 21 and inclosing but being normally spaced apart from ,the saddle block.

Lateral movement'of the conduit 15,- due to the rounding of track curves, or for other reasons, will cause the saddle block to turn upon its seat. Any relative longitudinal movement of the locomotive and tender will cause the conduit to slide longitudinally upon the saddle block, or a part of this movement may be of this block upon its supporting base, depending upon the relative friction developed between the conduit and saddle block 20, or between it and the supporting block 21. By this arrangement the conduit is relieved from some of the wear incident to lon .itudi 1 movement.

Whilea pre erred cm of construction is shown, the invention is of suflicient scope, to include any device in which the conduit is slidably supported in a saddle block capable of movement in a horizontal plane transverse to the line of draft.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination a locomotive, a tender, means mounted on the locomotive for delivering fuel into the fire-box thereof, a laterally movable saddle block carried-b tender, and a conduit connected wit the delivering means and being mounted, and fingiitudinally movable upon the saddle 2. in combination a locomotive, a tender, means mounted onthe locomotive for delivering fuel to the fire-box thereof, a conduit the y connected With the delivering means and having its bottom transversely curved. a saddle block mounted on the tender and being movable transverse thereto, the upper face of the saddle block being curved complementary to the bottom of the conduit and forminga seat therefor upon which the conduit is longitudinall slidable.

3. In combination. a locomotive, a tender,

1) means mounted on the loeon'iotivc t'or delivering fuel to the fire-box thereof, a laterally movable saddle block carried by the tender and having its upper face channeled, a conduit connected with the delivering means and being slidably suYported within the channel of the saddle )lock. such channel and the transverse contour of the bottom of the conduit being complementary in form.

NATHAN M. LOWER. 

